We put 10 questions to English businesswoman Maureen Adams, who has lived in the Netherlands for 23 years and loves stamppot.

How did you end up in the Netherlands?
I was living in Hong Kong 25 years ago when I met and married my Dutch husband. When his contract came to an end, he wanted to move back to the Netherlands as he had been away for several years. I was happy to follow as it meant I would be nearer to my family and still enjoy living in another country.

How do you describe yourself – an expat, lovepat, immigrant, international etc – and why?
I suppose I originally saw myself as a lovepat as I had moved with my partner to the Netherlands. I have never regarded myself as an expat as I was thrown into Dutch society, as happens when you have a Dutch partner. These days I regard myself as an ‘International’ which reflects the fact that I don’t feel totally British anymore.

How long do you plan to stay?
Forever, I suppose, although my dream is to eventually retire to a country with a sunnier climate. We have a small house in the beautiful wine district near to Cape Town in South Africa so it is a definite possibility.

Do you speak Dutch and how did you learn?
I speak Dutch quite fluently, with a strong accent which still leaves some Dutch people with a puzzled look on their face whilst they try to work out what I am saying.

Speaking Dutch has been essential to me, especially in business but also in order to take part in the community in the small town of Edam where I live.

Learning Dutch was a major struggle for me and I learnt it by attending classes at the Volks Universiteit in Amsterdam. I had lessons over a period of five years, mainly in the evenings after work. I am proud to say that I passed my NT2 certificate after two years but I was a long way from fluent so kept going.

If I could do things over again, I would take an intensive course with lessons daily for a period of six months instead of struggling over several years.

What’s your favourite Dutch food?
I love stamppot with raw endive and bacon bits; I always serve it with braised veal and lots of gravy. I also have a weakness for the tompouce from my local bakery. They are delicious.

What do you miss about back home?
I miss space, green countryside and being able to walk for miles without being surrounded by people. I grew up in a small village in Lancashire surrounded by countryside. We lived just one hour from the Lake District and 30 minutes from a beautiful nature reserve with rolling hills and forests. We were also close to the sea and so had the best of both worlds.

I also miss the English humour and the ability the Brits have to spend an evening laughing and joking and not taking the world too seriously.

How Dutch have you become?
I have to admit to becoming rather Dutch in some of my ways. I have even been told I look Dutch! As a northerner it was not difficult to take being blunt to the next level; ie, the same as the Dutch. However, I am aware of it and do try to temper it.

I also like the fact that presents don’t have to be expensive and that it is the thought that counts and not the value of the present. I am also a fan of Sinterklaas and all the traditions that go with this celebration including Zwarte Piet.

What’s your top tourist tip?
Wandering around the canals of Amsterdam, taking the time to have a coffee or a glass of wine and soaking up the atmosphere, especially during the summer when all the terraces are full. It has a special atmosphere that you cannot find anywhere else.

Failing that, a visit to the medieval Edam. Most people make their way to Volendam which is very touristy and miss out on the beautiful city of Edam. It has the status of a city despite having only 5,000 inhabitants.

Tell us something surprising you’ve found out about the Netherlands.
My biggest suprise coming here was to discover how conservative the Dutch really are, especially outside Amsterdam. Whilst they have the image of being open and liberal, a large part of the population is still very religious and/or conservative. Look at the pressure on women to return to work part-time once they have had children. Full-time working mothers are still frowned upon.

If you had just 24 hours left in the Netherlands, what would you do?
I would spend a few hours wandering around Amsterdam and visit the Van Gogh museum. I would then head to Zwolle to eat at the Librije and stay the night in their hotel. I have never been but it is supposed to be pretty amazing and one of the few restaurants in the Netherlands with three Michelin stars. I would also spend a few hours in Limburg cycling around the beautiful countryside and end with a piece of real Limburgse vlaai.

Maureen Adams is the owner of Adams Multilingual Recruitment